Proof of Bloated KU Staffing

The 20% ticket discounts for faculty and staff at KU events (sports, Lied Center, etc.) are being discontinued, ostensibly to save jobs. The University's administration claims that the discounts cost KU $451,000 in lost revenue, which would provide funds for 11 employees. This claim is disingenuous, because sports revenue goes to the Athletic Department and other event revenue goes to special funds. Neither is affected by the state budget limitations. The claim of saving 11 jobs is nothing but propaganda. If retaining 11 jobs was the true motive, revenue enhancements could be sought in other areas: parking fees, library charges, rents, etc. Better than diminishing the benefits of employment, the University should reduce the workforce, an alternative that this administration is trying to obfuscate. If reducing a bloated work force wasn't possible, there would be no need to create a defense of non-essential jobs.

Unread Political Email

During the Kansas Senate's debate on the 2009-10 budget, the Kansas University Alumni Association asked me to contact my state senator and urge that KU's budget not be cut. I used the Association's Web site to send an email with a subject line that read "Kansas Higher Education Budget" to react to their request. Rather than parrot the Association's line, I took a contrary approach, telling my senator that KU was over-staffed and could do more to reduce spending in a time of funding scarcity. Shortly after sending my email, I received a thank you email from the Association for my support of KU's budget needs.

This week I received a follow-up email from my senator informing me that "The legislation which emerged asks higher education to cut its budget by eight tenths of one percent (0.8%). Higher education and K-12 are essentially held harmless in the current budget bill." The senator's email ended with, "Thank you for your email in support of funding for higher education. I appreciate your taking time to share your comments with me." Obviously, the senator's office didn't read my email, else they wouldn't have thanked me for supporting funding for higher education, which I did not.

What is the lesson taught by this sequence of events? In an email to elected representatives, all that counts is the subject line. So, put your opinion there, up front in an unambiguous way. Then, be really brief in your comments. You'll have a better chance of being read.

Sign of the Times

At the Kansas University versus Texas A&M basketball game tonight, a sign held up by a student on this Martin Luther King Day read: "I have a dream that the whole world will become JAYHAWKS!" Now, that's a sentiment for world peace and prosperity, if I ever heard one. But, alas, it won't come to pass as long as there's a sign being held up in Manhattan, Kansas, that reads, "Every man a WILDCAT!"